I recently stayed at the Premier Inn County Hall and loved the location for my daughter's friends who were first-time visitors in their 20's.
However, My next trip to London is this September to show a friend and her husband around (both are aged 65). This will be their first and likely only trip to the UK. My friend has some mobility concerns, (She will get tired walking after a mile and may have difficulty with stairs and luggage). Would the Premier Inn at Paddington or Victoria be a better choice for them? They will also need to find their own way back to Heathrow for an 11:30 AM flight. I am thinking of easy access to the Elizabeth Line or Victoria coach station. Would like to keep the three nights in London under $1000. Any suggestions on how to make this part of their trip as easy as possible would be welcomed.
Posted by
Phoenix🌵
2986 posts
You may want to rethink Premier Inn Victoria. I was looking at reviews today for it to get ideas for next year’s trip. Doesn’t sound good. Not real clean, bad water pressure, mold in showers and the elevators only sometime work. It’s off my list of possibilities.
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
8810 posts
Premier Inn Waterloo is in the same neighborhood that you liked and is step free. Could that be an option? It is closer to the tube than County Hall and several buses pass by as well.
Posted by
Chicago
2021 posts
You might also look at the Premier Inn St Pancras/Kings Cross.
Close to the Piccadilly Line a decent neighborhood with a shopping centre, restaurants and pubs. I believe bus lines also go by there as it sounds like London buses may be better than the Tube.
Posted by
Duluth 🛶
7633 posts
Premier Inn Waterloo is in the same neighborhood that you liked and is step free. Could that be an option? It is closer to the tube than County Hall and several buses pass by as well.
I would second this. I stayed at the PI County Hall, and the elevator worked fine, but there were outside steps to get into the building. There may another means of access, though.
Here is a thread I started that compared a number of PIs in London. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/requesting-opinions-of-certain-premier-inns-in-london
Posted by
Twin Cities, Minnesota
1950 posts
I agree about Victoria P.I. When I stayed there in 2022 they didn't even tell me one of the elevators was not working and it was the one that went to the part of the building where my room was. I had to drag my bags up a long set of stairs. When I went down to the front 'desk' they didn't even apologize, just said they could give me a different room. Why didn't they explain this when they handed me the key. Despite this experience I am still a fan of the Premier Inns. My experience at others has been much more positive.
Posted by
OP
Missouri, USA and Essex, UK.
1027 posts
Thank you Mardee for the PI thread - very helpful.
The steps into the County Hall building are not too bad (I managed them with a stroller with some help). I found everything else pretty satisfactory as far as comfort goes. My only hang-up was navigating the tube stations with luggage, but I think we can manage. If not, then we can get a taxi. I also noticed a hop-on hop-off bus stop just to the right of the hotel which may be an option for my friends.
Thank you all for your honest comments about the Victoria PI.
Posted by
Bristol, UK
1297 posts
I think a taxi will be necessary with luggage for anyone with mobility issues. The tube is difficult to navigate.
Buses are your friend if you have trouble walking long distances. They’re right there at street level so you don’t have to negotiate the escalators and sometimes long underground walks. You can end up walking a long way to change lines. Also you’re more likely to get a seat on the bus.
Waterloo would be a decent location for buses. The Citymapper app is really good for helping you get around. Be prepared to take the odd taxi too.
Posted by
OP
Missouri, USA and Essex, UK.
1027 posts
Those long underground journeys are going to be a concern for sure. I am not used to using the London buses, but will research for this particular trip. I have the Citymapper app already downloaded. I also noticed yesterday, that not all Premier Inn rooms have air conditioning, so I need to pay attention to that when I get them to book their hotel. We may not need air conditioning in September, but you never know.
Posted by
Bristol, UK
1297 posts
No they don’t all have aircon but I would think all the London ones do. It’s not proper aircon like you get the States. It’s mildly cooling.
The buses are generally very easy to use. Citymapper shows you the routes and you follow along your journey in real time if you’re concerned about where to get off. The stops are all announced on the bus as well. There can be issues with the buses if there are road closures for protests or that sort of thing.
Posted by
45 posts
We stayed at the Victoria Premier Inn in September of 2022 for five nights and it was just fine for our needs. The room was small and dated but very comfortable. It was easy access to the bus and Victoria Station. They offer early checkin for an additional fee; great after an overnight flight.
Their non refundable advance prices can’t be beat. Breakfast was great but there are limited dinner options in the area. As we checked out I told the desk I was leaving my Rick Steves London guide in the seating area for the next guest and she said it would be happily be in new hands in minutes!